Groove welding refers to welding structural members by depositing weld material in a groove between the members. Groove welds are used to join structural members in a wide variety of applications. During groove welding, beveled edges of two structural members are joined together to form a groove, and a weld is formed in the groove. During welding of such members, after the members are aligned and positioned in the required manner, tack welds are used to hold the members together until final welding is completed. However, the tack welds may prevent the molten weld material from completely filling the groove and thereby affect the quality and strength of the welded joint.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,808,876 (the '876 patent) issued to Xia on Nov. 7, 2017, discloses a method of welding two components together. In the '876 patent, a copper attachment or sticker is used to hold the components in place prior to welding. While the method of the '876 patent may be suitable for some applications, it may not be suitable for other applications. The present disclosure is directed at addressing one or more of the deficiencies and disadvantages set forth above and/or other problems in the art.